"Open Source" as a New Approach to Economic Development

That is what Ed Morrison and a group of Greater Cleveland business, IT, and economic development types are buzzing about.

What is OSED? Ed can do a better job than me in explaining Open Source Economic Development (OSED). My overall assessment is that OSED is about a more open and participative process by which communities set and achieve their economic development priorities.

The "open source" concept (metaphor) is drawn from the computer world, where it refers to shared-code software such as Linux. In the software world, developers and users have access to the code underlying the software. Ed argues that everyone concerned about economic development should have access to the "ED code," and not just the established powers-that-be in a community.

After 30 years in the business, I wonder if there really is a "code" in ED. We seem to invent things as we go, from what I can tell. ED is a "semi-profession" by academic standards. It still has a ways to go in establishing and developing widespread agreement on its knowledge and practice foundations. Don't get me wrong...I love the field and believe it plays a vital role in society.

Let me get to the point of this post. I just read an article in Business Week entitled "The Myth of Open-Source , which raises questions about the future of open-source software. Is the article correct? Ask the Linux guys, or the author of the Business Week article.

My question is this: "If the open source concept from the computer world is to applied to economic development, how far can the concept (metaphor) be taken in economic development, especially if open-source software runs into some serious problems in the future?" I'm raising the issue of the sustainability of the transferred idea. I believe it is one that needs to be considered by those pushing the OSED "paradigm."

I give Ed Morrison credit for trying to tackle the "behind-closed doors/closed-system" approach to economic development. I run into it in lots of places where I do ED strategy work, and it inhibits the development and absorption of new ideas. I do the best I can to address the problem. A lot of it has to do with the distribution of power and wealth in communities. That is not an easy situation to change. In most cases, the folks with the money and power do not want to give it up, and they don't want somebody coming along and taking it away from them.

I think economic development needs new ideas. We have to open the window (knowledge and practice window) for that to happen. The old, closed approach is reaching its limits in many places, from what I can tell. Where it's exclusionary of certain stakeholder interests, it (the old closed model) should be let to die. At the same time, I think we need to give serious thought to the ideas (new or old) that we propose to apply in the field. That's not asking too much.